This documentary takes you inside Tianducheng, a massive residential development near Hangzhou that was built to look like Paris — complete with European-style streets and a full-scale Eiffel Tower replica.
Often labeled online as “China’s fake Paris” or a “ghost city,” this place is rarely shown for what it actually is. So instead of relying on headlines or viral photos, I traveled here to walk the streets myself, talk to locals, and experience daily life inside the city.
What I found was more complex than the internet makes it seem.
This film explores how Tianducheng was built, why it struggled to fill as planned, and what life here looks like today. It’s not a tourist attraction, and it’s not fully abandoned — it’s a real neighborhood caught between ambition and reality.
From quiet streets and lived-in apartments to local shops and families raising their kids here, this documentary shows a side of the city most people never see.
If you’ve ever been curious about China’s so-called “ghost cities,” urban experiments, or places that exist between success and failure, this is that story — told from the ground, not from a headline.
More about the current video:(Published on 2026-01-16)
Step into Tianducheng, a city meticulously designed to mimic Paris, complete with its own Eiffel Tower. While often dubbed a 'ghost city,' this documentary reveals the vibrant, complex reality beneath the surface. Steve Ronin navigates the European-inspired streets, engaging with residents to uncover the story of this ambitious development—its construction, its challenges in attracting inhabitants, and the everyday lives unfolding within its unique architecture. Discover a neighborhood that defies simple labels, existing as a living community rather than just an abandoned project.
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This documentary takes you inside Tianducheng, a massive residential development near Hangzhou that was built to look like Paris — complete with European-style streets and a full-scale Eiffel...
Step into Tianducheng, a city meticulously designed to mimic Paris, complete with its own Eiffel Tower. While often dubbed a 'ghost city,' this documentary reveals the vibrant, complex reality beneath the surface. Steve Ronin navigates the European-inspired streets, engaging with residents to uncover the story of this ambitious development—its construction, its challenges in attracting inhabitants, and the everyday lives unfolding within its unique architecture. Discover a neighborhood that defies simple labels, existing as a living community rather than just an abandoned project.
